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Engines
Photo by 1st Lt. Gary Emeigh, Delaware Wing
An aerial shot from a CAP plane shows Dover International Speedway on race
day. All CAP aircraft used to monitor traffic for NASCAR events are required to
maintain an altitude of 3,000 feet and a radius of three miles of the track to
reduce noise and distraction.
Transportation
(DELDOT) communication
vehicles
on the ground and aloft,
the job is demanding, but it
is also a very welcome community
service.”
Since airspace above the track is highly
restricted during a race, private planes and helicopters
are banned. Participating CAP aircraft are
required to maintain an altitude of 3,000 feet and a radius
of three miles of the track to reduce noise and distraction.
Two CAP planes are generally in the air at one time, with
CAP pilots and observers in constant contact with the
operations manager of DELDOT’s transportation management
center, Gene Donaldson, who is on the scene in a
state police helicopter.
Local shopping malls close down for the race from
noon to 4 p.m., and people living near Dover generally
Citizens Serving Communities...Above and Beyond
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try to stay off the roads when major events are scheduled.
Still, managing the traffic flow is a major undertaking.
Keeping an eye on traffic patterns for major events is
just one of many community services performed by the
Delaware Wing, Bracco said. “We also are a part of daily
and weekly traffic events such as reporting road blockages
from downed trees or a major accident, street and
highway flooding, collapsed or washed-out bridges and
weekend beach traffic,” he said.
By working closely with DELDOT, first responders
can be dispatched promptly and road crews can be summoned
to block off accident sites while rerouting traffic if
necessary. “CAP also helps DELDOT’s commitment to
public safety by sighting and reporting fires of all types,
including car, building and field fires,” Bracco said. ▲
Editor’s Note: Across the country, CAP aircrews assist
and support local police and transportation departments in
all the above-mentioned areas. If you are attending a major
sporting event like a NASCAR race or the Kentucky Derby
or happen to be on the scene at a colossal fire or other disaster,
look up. There’s probably a CAP “eye in the sky” helping
coordinate the multi-agency ground crew response.
www.gocivilairpatrol.com